“At the end of 2025, Telephone Exchanges will no longer provide the 50V current that has been supplied in the past to the premises to keep telephone lines working due to a loss of power. This means that all backup will need to be provided by the customers own Battery Backup arrangements. However, if your service is running on a Fibre to the house (FTTH) the service is power from the exchange still, but you will still need a backup solution. BUT this is totally dependent on the backup power solution at the exchange, which will shut down at some point if the power is off for any length of time. Customers who are using the FTTC service for their digital lines are reliant on the backup batteries in the cabinet in the street, this is normally around 4/6 hours tops. So, ether way you will need a backup power solution. We strongly recommend getting a mobile phone as a secondary backup solution as recommended by Ofcom.”
Thanks.
We have FTTC, so I assume that we could still keep an internet connection for a time with their battery backup. On the other hand, the router also needs a power supply which will have gone off anyway.
We used to have VOIP, but Virgin no longer supports that via their router.
Both Marge and I have mobile phones, though, so no problem there.
I use PAYG as I don’t make many phone calls and use my phone using the router.
Marge on the other hand has a contract because she talks a lot more (on the phone and otherwise)!
My landline phone on the wall in the kitchen does not use mains power, it still works if the house power goes off Melgal. Even though Mrs Fox and me both have mobiles, we still use the landline a lot. I suppose us here in South Yorkshire are perhaps still a bit behind the times…
I believe you’re right. It is some time since we had a traditional (50V) landline telephone and I never remember that going off during a power cut, though I don’t seem to remember power cuts lasting for very long in those days. I think we were better organised then!
